The Minor Third: Solemnity

solemnity, seriousness, sorrow, clarity, melodrama Ratio: 6:5

Arising from the Major Third in the Harmonic Series is the Minor Third at 6:5. In music as well as in castings, it is the Minor Third that most clearly defines minor keys and the sober, serious feelings we associate with them. This is a powerful dyad: it can shake us from our daydreams with its sudden, solemn beauty, or provide an entrancing underscore to our attachments and self-pity.

In a casting, the Minor Third can be melancholic and desperate, bringing with it a heavy certainty and a sense of doom, especially if one is overly attached to or embroiled in a difficult situation. Conversely, it can represent a sober, quiet clarity that’s utterly appropriate.